My research is mainly focused on using responsive materials, especially liquid crystalline polymers and hydrogels, to develop functional coating surfaces and devices for various application purposes.
One interesting function is switching of frictional states of coating surfaces remotely using responsive liquid crystalline polymers and electric field. Towards practical problems, we have developed oscillating surfaces using alternating electric field, prompt light-switchable underwater adhesive coatings and logically controlled coating surfaces using electric field and light. Using these coatings, we provide solutions towards problems, e.g.:
• Solar cell contamination
• Object pick up-transport-release underwater
• Complicated friction switching
......
One interesting function is switching of frictional states of coating surfaces remotely using responsive liquid crystalline polymers and electric field. Towards practical problems, we have developed oscillating surfaces using alternating electric field, prompt light-switchable underwater adhesive coatings and logically controlled coating surfaces using electric field and light. Using these coatings, we provide solutions towards problems, e.g.:
• Solar cell contamination
• Object pick up-transport-release underwater
• Complicated friction switching
......
You probably know that lotus leaves can self-clean with water droplets. But how about in desert or on the Mars without water? We develop physically oscillating LCN coating surfaces under stimulation of alternating electric field. The coating with fingerprint pattern removes dust once the coating is remotely stimulated with electric field. Our work received the collaborative invitation from NASA to resolve the problem of dust mitigation for Mars rover, as the Opportunity Mars rover has been missing since 2018 due to the sandstorm on Mars.
Related publication:
•Feng, W.; Broer, D. J.; Liu, D. Oscillating Chiral‐Nematic Fingerprints Wipe Away Dust. Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1704970.
•Feng, W.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. Electric field switched surface topography of fingerprint liquid-crystal network polymer coating, SPIE: 2018; Vol. 10555.
•Feng, W.; Broer, D. J.; Liu, D. Combined Light and Electric Response of Topographic Liquid Crystal Network Surfaces. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 1901681.
•Feng, W; Broer, D.J.; et al. Static and Dynamic Control of Fingerprint Landscapes of Liquid Crystal Network Coatings. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019. 2020, 12 (5), 5265-5273.
•Feng, W.; Chu, L.; de Rooij, M. B.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. J. Photoswitching between Water-Tolerant Adhesion and Swift Release by Inverting Liquid Crystal Fingerprint Topography. Advanced Science 2021, 8 (8), 2004051.
•Feng, W.; Pal, A.; Wang, T.; Ren, Z.; Yan, Y.; Lu, Y.; Yang, H.; Sitti, M. Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polymeric Coatings for Colorful Artificial Muscles and Motile Humidity Sensor Skin Integrated with Magnetic Composites. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 33 (23), 2300731.
•Wu, H.; Chen, Y.; Xu, W.; Xin, C.; Wu, T.; Feng, W.; et al. High-performance Marangoni hydrogel rotors with asymmetric porosity and drag reduction profile. Nat. Commun. 2023, 14 (1), 20.
More to come soon...
You probably know that lotus leaves can self-clean with water droplets. But how about in desert or on the Mars without water? We develop physically oscillating LCN coating surfaces under stimulation of alternating electric field. The coating with fingerprint pattern removes dust once the coating is remotely stimulated with electric field. Our work received the collaborative invitation from NASA to resolve the problem of dust mitigation for Mars rover, as the Opportunity Mars rover has been missing since 2018 due to the sandstorm on Mars.
Related publication:
•Feng, W.; Broer, D. J.; Liu, D. Oscillating Chiral‐Nematic Fingerprints Wipe Away Dust. Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1704970.
•Feng, W.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. Electric field switched surface topography of fingerprint liquid-crystal network polymer coating, SPIE: 2018; Vol. 10555.
•Feng, W.; Broer, D. J.; Liu, D. Combined Light and Electric Response of Topographic Liquid Crystal Network Surfaces. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 1901681.
•Feng, W; Broer, D.J.; et al. Static and Dynamic Control of Fingerprint Landscapes of Liquid Crystal Network Coatings. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019. 2020, 12 (5), 5265-5273.
•Feng, W.; Chu, L.; de Rooij, M. B.; Liu, D.; Broer, D. J. Photoswitching between Water-Tolerant Adhesion and Swift Release by Inverting Liquid Crystal Fingerprint Topography. Advanced Science 2021, 8 (8), 2004051.
•Feng, W.; Pal, A.; Wang, T.; Ren, Z.; Yan, Y.; Lu, Y.; Yang, H.; Sitti, M. Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polymeric Coatings for Colorful Artificial Muscles and Motile Humidity Sensor Skin Integrated with Magnetic Composites. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 33 (23), 2300731.
•Wu, H.; Chen, Y.; Xu, W.; Xin, C.; Wu, T.; Feng, W.; et al. High-performance Marangoni hydrogel rotors with asymmetric porosity and drag reduction profile. Nat. Commun. 2023, 14 (1), 20.
More to come soon...
Responsive hydrogels (Master project in USTC, 2013-2016)
Supramolecular hydrogels are interesting due to their capabilities for reconfiguration, for example, the sol-gel transition, shape memory and hydrogels with high mechanical strength. Using polypseudorotaxanes, we delicately designed the supramolecular interaction and demonstrated tough hydrogels capable of bearing large compressive strains. Besides, we also developed the photoacid generator strategy to afford the shape memory effect in a range of hydrogels, for instance, hydrogels with metal-ligand coordination interactions. By tuning the interfacial interaction between polymer chains and Laponite clay nanosheets, we developed facile methods to develop injectable hydrogels suitable for application in enhanced oil recovery. Details: • Feng, W.; Zhou, W.; Dai, Z.; Yasin, A.; Yang, H. Tough polypseudorotaxane supramolecular hydrogels with dual-responsive shape memory properties. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2016, 4, 1924-1931. (Cover Article) • Feng, W.; Zhou, W.; Zhang, S.; Fan, Y.; Yasin, A.; Yang, H. UV-controlled shape memory hydrogels triggered by photoacid generator. RSC Advances 2015, 5, 81784-81789. • Xiong, C.; Wei, F.; Ye, Z.; Feng, W.;* Zhou, Q.; He, J.; Yang, H.* An injectable self-healing hydrogel based on poly(acrylamide-co-N-vinylimidazole) and laponite clay nanosheets. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2023, 140 (7), e53491. • Zhang, L.; Qian, J.; Fan, Y.; Feng, W.; Tao, Z.; Yang, H. A facile CO2 switchable nanocomposite with reversible transition from sol to self-healable hydrogel. RSC Advances 2015, 5, 62229-62234. |